FULL : Hinge Points of Change for a Moral Economy

This workshop will explore the hinge points of change for a moral economy. Failing economic and environmental conditions are undermining society and endangering the future of humanity and the commonwealth of life. These failings are intertwined and must be addressed together in a coherent and coordinated way. The workshop will include short focused critiques that move into a detailed visioning of the hinges points of change. Drawing on our Quaker heritage, the workshop will be organized around three questions. 1) What are the common roots of the economic and environmental crises? 2) What kind of strategic changes should we advocate? 3) How can Quaker witness and action become more effective in helping to make these changes possible?

Workshop themes will include: 1) The heritage of Quaker concern and action on social and economic inequity; 2) the societal effects of inequality; 3) ecological overshoot and unsustainable growth, 4) political corruption and the failure of governance, 5) the financial system and the violence of structural poverty.

The hinge points of change tabled for discussion will include: 1) The financial crisis and the need for monetary system reform; 2) The unemployment crisis and the need for basic income; 3) The ecological overshoot crisis and the need for a steady state economy; 4) The governance crisis and the need for collaborative decision making on public policy and trusteeships of the commons; 5) The fatalism crisis and the need for a new spirituality of right relationship with the whole commonwealth of life.

The workshop will open each day with a period centering silence and worship sharing. Presentations by the workshop facilitator will be relatively brief and aimed at initiating discussion and collaborative visioning on the hinge points of change. A collection of readings keyed to workshop themes will be available in advance. Participants who read the material in advance will be better prepared for the serious grappling with a variety of issues that is on offer. An annotated bibliography will be available to help facilitate further study. The opportunity for participants to write and present short papers (1 or 2 pages) on workshop themes and issues will also be an option. A collaborative exercise in worldview research will be conducted.

This workshop is part of the Moral Economy Project of Quaker Institute for the Future.